As one of the country’s top states for aerospace, Georgia serves as a model for aerospace innovation. It’s home to more than 800 aerospace companies, and aerospace is the state’s No. 1 export based on dollar value – $9.2 billion in 2022. It’s also the state’s second-largest manufacturing industry, contributing to a total economic impact of $57.5 billion. In addition, Georgia is the fifth-largest aerospace exporter in the United States.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is one of the largest aerospace manufacturers in the state, and recently announced its fifth expansion since 2006. Gulfstream’s worldwide headquarters have been located in Savannah since 1967, and the company has added 2,000 employees in Chatham County since the start of 2022.
Other large major manufacturing operations in the state includeLockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Northrup Grumman, and Meggitt. Aerospace manufacturing companies employ 19,275, and approximately 200,000 people in the state work in aerospace-related occupations. Georgia’s aerospace manufacturing industry is also complemented by a robust defense industry, with Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman at the helm.
Workforce Pipeline
Georgia’s business-friendly ecosystem is bolstered by academic resources and institutions that establish a pipeline of workers for the aerospace industry. The state is home to two of the nation’s top 20 public universities – the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, which is one of the leading producers of aerospace engineers. Middle Georgia State University is one of only nine institutions in the U.S. to offer degrees in aviation ranging from a master’s degree to one-year certificates.
In addition to recent graduates, Georgia’s workforce also benefits from a consistent stream of skilled and experienced workers discharged from the state’s military institutions. With more than 700,000 veterans living in the state, aerospace companies proudly claim veterans as…
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